By using the Component Video connection with their DVD players, buyers can achieve nearly the same color balance, accuracy, and picture quality as that of the original film.

Component Video OUT ports are still very rare on DVD players with less than a $500 price tag.

Dual Component Video, S-Video, Coaxial OUT ports, and single Optical and Composite OUT ports

Many readers have questions concerning maximizing the sound reproduction of their DVD player within their home audio system. The simple truth is that you'll have to use the type of DVD audio output that is compatible with the inputs on your audio receiver or external decoder.

All DVD players have some form of digital audio SPDIF outputs, including coaxial and oftentimes optical OUTs. Either via coaxial or optical output your DVD player has the ability to send Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound signals to your audio receiver, which then needs to decode the signal and send the audio signals to the appropriate speakers.

Most DVD players do not include an integrated Dolby Digital 5.1 decoder. This means that your audio receiver needs to have a Dolby Digital 5.1 decoder built into it in order to properly assign audio to any of the six speakers connected to it.

Dolby Digital 5.1 specifically provides six discrete sound channels for playback through dedicated speakers: two front, two back, one center, and one subwoofer. If you do not have a 5.1 decoder, Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtracks are automatically downmixed to two channels so that you may still experience Dolby Digital sound, although it's not surround sound.